Blood Test results

February 1, 1999

In a message dated 1/31/99 8:54:42 PM Central Standard Time, sasc@...

writes:

<< My

asthma also is a cause of it so my doctor doesn't bother to test very often

for

it. >>

Just curious, since we are " neighbors, " ...has your asthma been

particularly bad this year? BTW, I thought of you the other day...took a

drive down to on to see friends. My in-laws lived there for years.

We've talked of moving there when Lar retires...I'm for going further south,

or west to where it is drier, though! I love the Ozarks, love the people, love

the trees and other vegetation but they don't love me!

Lindy, in Springfield MO

February 1, 1999

Barbara Gray wrote:

>

> From: Barbara Gray <barbara@...>

>

> Now all you luvly people are back online I'm hoping someone can help me find

> out the difference between ESR (sed rate) and CRP (C reactive protein). I

> have looked up some sources on 's links page and found that both

> measure inflamation and there is often a correlation in the two measures.

> However in the past 3 months my ESR has gone up - 58 62 68 ; while my CRP

> has come down - 70 62 45 .I had a flare/herx in Dec but am feeling good now

> after 6 mths on Doxy, dont feel the way an ESR of 68 would have felt pre AP,

> so am a bit puzzled.

> Barbara , RA 22yrs AP 6mths

Dr. Franco feels the CRP is a better indicator of the level of

inflammation.

Sometimes labs improve before symptoms and at other times symptoms leave

before labs improve. In my case symptoms left at 22 months but labs

didn't return to normal for 4-1/2 years.

>

Ethel

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, or to change your subscription

> to digest, go to the ONElist web site, at and

> select the User Center link from the menu bar on the left.

February 1, 1999

My docs at the NIH said that the CRP was sometimes a more sensitive

barometer than the ESR (agreeing with Dr Franco)

Mark

RA 4/98 AP 7/98

rheumatic Re: blood test results

>Dr. Franco feels the CRP is a better indicator of the level of

>inflammation.

August 1, 2002

Dear Carol...prayers winging Heavenward!!!! I am grateful your blood

count is better, and do hope Remicade works well for you.

Love & Hugs...

Tess

August 1, 2002

(((((((((Tess)))))))))

You're such a great friend. Thank you for your prayers.

How are you feeling? How is Em? That was such a thoughtful birthday

present she got you, finding your favorite chocolate soda. I hope the

situation has improved with the awful neighbor.

Sending love and hugs from hot and humid Florida,

Carol

Re: [ ] Blood test results

Dear Carol...prayers winging Heavenward!!!! I am grateful your blood

count is better, and do hope Remicade works well for you.

Love & Hugs...

Tess

August 1, 2002

That¹s great Carol!! I am so happy for you. Now we all want to hear good

news

that Remicade is your magic bullet. This will be a great financial relief

since all your blood

tests will be included with the study. What a day of good news today. You

got good news,

Lynn got good news and so did I! I had my annual ortho check up today to

see if my knee

replacements were ok and they were. Last checkup said one of them was a

little loose, but

no further cement loosening has occurred.

We¹re on the good news roll!

Hugs,

a

> Hi Friends. I'm so happy! I just called the research facility, and got the

> results of the lab work they did last Friday for the Remicade study. As

> some of you may remember, my white blood count was a concern, because it was

> 3.7 (or 3700) on my last test. I ate well, took an extra folic acid, and my

> white blood count was 4.8. That's a big gain! She said as far as the study

> is concerned, my blood work is great. I have an appt tomorrow for the DEXA

> bone scan, and the appointment with the rheumy in charge of the study. As

> long as that goes well, I should have my first infusion Tuesday! I'd

> appreciate any prayers you can offer that things go well with the Dr.

> tomorrow. Since I'm uninsured and I've been having a really bad time the

> past few months, I'm hoping the Remicade will be my " miracle " . Heaven knows

> I can't afford the cost of Remicade on my own.

>

> I will let you know what happens when I get back from Gainesville tomorrow.

>

> I hope everyone is having a great day.

>

> Love and hugs,

> Carol

>

August 1, 2002

a, that’s wonderful! It’s great to hear so many good things in one day.

:-)

Just out of curiosity, how long are knee replacements expected to last? Do

you get pain in the joints you’ve had replaced? I’ve just always wondered.

Love and hugs,

Carol

Re: [ ] Blood test results

That¹s great Carol!! I am so happy for you. Now we all want to hear good

news

that Remicade is your magic bullet. This will be a great financial relief

since all your blood

tests will be included with the study. What a day of good news today. You

got good news,

Lynn got good news and so did I! I had my annual ortho check up today to

see if my knee

replacements were ok and they were. Last checkup said one of them was a

little loose, but

no further cement loosening has occurred.

We¹re on the good news roll!

Hugs,

a

> Hi Friends. I'm so happy! I just called the research facility, and got

the

> results of the lab work they did last Friday for the Remicade study. As

> some of you may remember, my white blood count was a concern, because it

was

> 3.7 (or 3700) on my last test. I ate well, took an extra folic acid, and

my

> white blood count was 4.8. That's a big gain! She said as far as the

study

> is concerned, my blood work is great. I have an appt tomorrow for the

DEXA

> bone scan, and the appointment with the rheumy in charge of the study. As

> long as that goes well, I should have my first infusion Tuesday! I'd

> appreciate any prayers you can offer that things go well with the Dr.

> tomorrow. Since I'm uninsured and I've been having a really bad time the

> past few months, I'm hoping the Remicade will be my " miracle " . Heaven

knows

> I can't afford the cost of Remicade on my own.

>

> I will let you know what happens when I get back from Gainesville

tomorrow.

>

> I hope everyone is having a great day.

>

> Love and hugs,

> Carol

>

August 1, 2002

Hi Carol...My " certain " neighbor has been out of town for the past week.

I'm not kidding, you can FEEL the lessening of tension in the air! I

know she'll be home soon...I just wish people would be kind. Sheesh.

Em is doing well. She won a prize for doing the best of all the

courtesy clerks at her Safeway ( " secet shoppers " come in and grade

them.) She won a " Smoker-Barbeque " - it's really nice. She was so

happy she about popped!

I'm not feeling very well...lots of aches & IBS. I see my GYN next

week...I think I have something going on with my left ovary. I've had

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome since my 20's. In 1990, they had to

surgically remove my right ovary as a football size mass (benign) had

enveloped it, my fallopan tube, and it was attaching to my intestine.

My GYN has been doing ultra-sounds every year, so I hope if something is

awry, it is caught soon.

Golly, Carol, I sure bent your ear back!

Love & Hugs....

Tess

August 1, 2002

<< In 1990, they had to

surgically remove my right ovary as a football size mass (benign) had

enveloped it, my fallopan tube, and it was attaching to my intestine.>>

Ouch, Tess! I hope your ovary is OK. I had a total hysterectomy in 1995

(at 30) after many laparoscopic surgeries and having one ovary removed. I

had a tumor (benign, thank God) that was 4.5 lbs. I thought I was pregnant,

except it was growing too fast. I've been fortunate in that I've had no

pain since the surgery, after so many years of problems. The HRT has been a

pain to tweak, though. It sounds like you have a good GYN, at least.

I hope you feel better soon. You've had a rough few weeks.

Love and hugs,

Carol

RE: [ ] Blood test results

Hi Carol...My " certain " neighbor has been out of town for the past week.

I'm not kidding, you can FEEL the lessening of tension in the air! I

know she'll be home soon...I just wish people would be kind. Sheesh.

Em is doing well. She won a prize for doing the best of all the

courtesy clerks at her Safeway ( " secet shoppers " come in and grade

them.) She won a " Smoker-Barbeque " - it's really nice. She was so

happy she about popped!

I'm not feeling very well...lots of aches & IBS. I see my GYN next

week...I think I have something going on with my left ovary. I've had

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome since my 20's. In 1990, they had to

surgically remove my right ovary as a football size mass (benign) had

enveloped it, my fallopan tube, and it was attaching to my intestine.

My GYN has been doing ultra-sounds every year, so I hope if something is

awry, it is caught soon.

Golly, Carol, I sure bent your ear back!

Love & Hugs....

Tess

August 1, 2002

Good news, Carol! Keeping my fingers crossed that all

goes well and you get into the program quickly. I've

heard a lot of good about Remicade - will be

interested in how you do on it.

Kathe in CA

__________________________________________________

August 2, 2002

Congrats Carol and a. What wonderful news and

doesn't it feel great to share the good!

--- a <paula54@...> wrote:

> That1s great Carol!! I am so happy for you. Now we

> all want to hear good

> news

> that Remicade is your magic bullet. This will be a

> great financial relief

> since all your blood

> tests will be included with the study. What a day

> of good news today. You

> got good news,

> Lynn got good news and so did I! I had my annual

> ortho check up today to

> see if my knee

> replacements were ok and they were. Last checkup

> said one of them was a

> little loose, but

> no further cement loosening has occurred.

> We1re on the good news roll!

> Hugs,

> a

>

> > Hi Friends. I'm so happy! I just called the

> research facility, and got the

> > results of the lab work they did last Friday for

> the Remicade study. As

> > some of you may remember, my white blood count was

> a concern, because it was

> > 3.7 (or 3700) on my last test. I ate well, took

> an extra folic acid, and my

> > white blood count was 4.8. That's a big gain!

> She said as far as the study

> > is concerned, my blood work is great. I have an

> appt tomorrow for the DEXA

> > bone scan, and the appointment with the rheumy in

> charge of the study. As

> > long as that goes well, I should have my first

> infusion Tuesday! I'd

> > appreciate any prayers you can offer that things

> go well with the Dr.

> > tomorrow. Since I'm uninsured and I've been

> having a really bad time the

> > past few months, I'm hoping the Remicade will be

> my " miracle " . Heaven knows

> > I can't afford the cost of Remicade on my own.

> >

> > I will let you know what happens when I get back

> from Gainesville tomorrow.

> >

> > I hope everyone is having a great day.

> >

> > Love and hugs,

> > Carol

> >

August 2, 2002

Oh, wonderful news! I'll say extra prayers for you that tomorrow goes well and

you start the new drug on Tuesday. I'll be watching to see how it goes.

hugs,

Debbie Mc

[ ] Blood test results

Hi Friends. I'm so happy! I just called the research facility, and got the

results of the lab work they did last Friday for the Remicade study. As

some of you may remember, my white blood count was a concern, because it was

3.7 (or 3700) on my last test. I ate well, took an extra folic acid, and my

white blood count was 4.8. That's a big gain! She said as far as the study

is concerned, my blood work is great. I have an appt tomorrow for the DEXA

bone scan, and the appointment with the rheumy in charge of the study. As

long as that goes well, I should have my first infusion Tuesday! I'd

appreciate any prayers you can offer that things go well with the Dr.

tomorrow. Since I'm uninsured and I've been having a really bad time the

past few months, I'm hoping the Remicade will be my " miracle " . Heaven knows

I can't afford the cost of Remicade on my own.

I will let you know what happens when I get back from Gainesville tomorrow.

I hope everyone is having a great day.

Love and hugs,

Carol

August 2, 2002

Hi Carol,

That's great news! I pray that all goes well. Please keep us updated.

Al in IL

June 9, 2003

Judi,

Doesn't your labs give you a normal range so you know if they are elevated?

All labs use different ranges for what is normal. Your sed rate measures

inflammation and is considered normal. 0-20 is considered normal for a sed

rate. Your RA factor is also low.

Elevated uric acid could indicate gout.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003616.htm

Gout is a form of arthritis caused by excess uric acid in the body.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003616.htm

The Chloride and CO2 test is part of the electrolyte tests that measures the

concentration of sodium, potassium, chloride, and carbon dioxide. These

tests reflect changes in the body fluids due to excess salt or potassium

loss, as seen with diarrhea, and/or vomiting. Chloride is a very important

electrolyte which helps keep fluid inside and outside cells balanced, as

well as help maintain the proper blood volume, blood pressure, and pH of

body fluids.

Increase in serum chloride is seen in dehydration, renal

tubular acidosis, acute renal failure, diabetes insipidus,

prolonged diarrhea, salicylate toxicity, respiratory alkalosis,

hypothalamic lesions, and adrenocortical hyperfunction. Drugs

causing increased chloride include acetazolamide, androgens,

corticosteroids, cholestyramine, diazoxide, estrogens,

guanethidine, methyldopa, oxyphenbutazone, phenylbutazone,

thiazides, and triamterene.

The chloride and carbon dioxide concentrations may be abnormal due to

conditions that affect the acid/base balance in the blood.

http://www.aegis.com/pubs/step/1999/STEP19990604.html

Chloride can be elevated with dehydration. Have you been drinking your

WATER?????????

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003485.htm

Diuretics, steroids and laxatives can cause co2 levels to be elevated.

The CO2 level is related to the respiratory exchange of carbon dioxide in

the lungs and is part of the bodies buffering system. Generally, when used

with the other electrolytes, carbon dioxide levels indicate pH or

acid/alkaline balance in the tissues.

We were all new at this at one point. You're learning!

a

> Hello to everyone who actually knows what their blood tests mean! I

> did some checking (at Elf's suggestion) about the individual

> bloodwork, with some surprising results. Found that my cholesterol

> is higher than ever (219) and Uric Acid 6.2. I'm sure my doctor will

> be interested in THOSE results June 24! Also Chloride and C02 were

> high, whatever that means--couldn't find anything about that.

> Rheumatoid factor was 12, SED rate 18. With nothing to compare it

> to, I don't know if numbers are up, down, or sideways. I'm sure

> there will be more bloodwork later, and this time I WILL be sure to

> have copies of it.

>

> After 45 years of not seeing a doctor, and then suddenly a change of

> base and entrusting myself to the medical profession, I am still

> quite new at all this. It's shown me how trusting we are, and a lot

> of these people don't deserve that trust. And the cost of all

> this " service " keeps going up!

>

> I'm very grateful for this support group, and all the good

> information you all are willing to share. I'm sticking with you guys!

>

> Peace,

> Judi

June 10, 2003

YOU are Grateful to this support group???!!!

Judi! WE are grateful to YOU!

Also... you made my day by having me think I actually helped someone!

When you are forced out of the workfield you loved dearly, due to ill

health, you feel you have no " worth " anylonger and feel as if no one

NEEDS your help/advice and input. When you are forced out of Motherhood,

due to fact that ALL children GROW UP... you loose a BIG part of your

precious IDENTITY... you no longer have those who look to you for

support and guidance and learning and advice.

Ill health effects us in so many ways... however, WE ALL HAVE EACH

OTHER. If I had not gotten " sick " ... I would not have known some of the

most precious people who I have come to love and bond with on this

group!

We are basically a " displaced " group of women (and a few men!) who were

hit be chronic illness, which turned our world upsidedown and makes us

feel like " What do I have to offer ANYONE anymore. "

We have each other Judi... We are grateful for eachother.

Love you Judi!

Elf

mormar46 wrote: